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League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is proud to serve a membership of more than 200 theaters, a rich and varied theater community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters with budgets under $10,000 to major cultural centers with multi-million dollar shows. No other theater service organization in the country has such a diverse theater membership. Whether you call yourself a Chicagoan or are just visiting for the weekend, the League of Chicago Theatres is your source for Chicago theater.

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Explore the Chicago theatre scene, interact with fellow theatre-goers, follow your favorite theatre company, and recommend that amazing show you saw last weekend. Free and open to anyone - be part of the Chicagoplays community!

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Behind the Curtain

A family-friendly open house at Lifeline Theatre!Bring the whole family and learn more about our KidSeries shows! Kids will meet the cast, watch a scene or song from the show, and experience craft activities based on the play with one of Lifeline's teaching artists. Adults will enjoy coffee and conversation with our writers, directors, and educators and get a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes into bringing our children's stories to life.

Open House: Arnie the DoughnutMeet director Elise Kauzlaric, composer George Howe, and the cast of their beloved musical as they present a scene and song from the show.

This hour-long event is FREE and open to the public (performance starts at 1pm), but reservations are required. Call 773-761-4477 or email erica@lifelinetheatre.com. RSVP by September 29.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

WreckTwo men (Man #1 played by Jason Williams, and Man #2 played by Mark Stickney) survive a plane crash, and end up on a deserted island in the Caribbean. After figuring out survival strategies, they begin to learn about each other, and it’s not long before their inner demons creep to the surface. Includes strong adult language, adult situations, and violence. Playwright: Kevin Wiczer (Lake Zurich).

The cast: Mark Stickney and Jason Williams (Palatine).

There will be a talkback afterwards. The talkback will be moderated by Metropolis Resident Director and Casting Director, Robin Hughes.

Playwright Kevin Wiczer says, “This new play was a challenge. I wanted this play to consist of only two men on stage for a two-hour time period dealing with a rollercoaster of emotions. WRECK is about survival, loss, finding yourself, trust in others, and the destruction of the human soul.”

This event is FREE. Seating is first come first served.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Artemisia Fall Festival 2017Pick your next theatrical adventure at Artemisia Fall Festival 2017, featuring six groundbreaking new plays with dynamic female characters seeking full production. Each night a new work is staged by Chicago’s outstanding pool of talent and is free to the public. From this thrilling lineup, the audience chooses Artemisia’s next world premiere. You must see a minimum of four readings to receive a digital voting ballot at the end of the festival. Fall Festival talent is excluded from voting. Monday, September 25, 2017 through Wednesday, October 4, 2017.at the Edge Theatre | 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

Monday, September 25 at 7:30pmThe Rug Dealer by Riti Sachdeva An Iranian-American woman inherits her father’s rug store after his death and negotiates the costly business of carpets, family, duty and desire.

Tuesday, September 26 at 7:30pmJarred by Eileen Campbell A fresh college dropout moves in with her former fourth grade teacher in order to get away from the mess. Together, the two women must reconcile their monsters.

Wednesday, September 27 at 8:00pm Rush by Callie Kimball A young woman and her brother risk everything to start a new life at the end of the world. But with a Chicago detective on their trail, is the Yukon Territory far enough away to escape their terrible past?

Monday, October 2 at 7:30pmThe Malta Play by Kirsten Ebsen Based on actual events, two British Quaker women survive imprisonment by the Inquisition on the Isle of Malta during the seventeenth century.

Tuesday, October 3 at 7:30pmReap the Grove by Caity-Shea Violette An estranged family is reunited to spend the mother’s final days together before she ends her life on her own terms following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.

Wednesday, October 4 at 7:30pmParts of Speech by Janet Burroway In the 1980’s, a female translation teacher waits for news of her journalist brother who has been taken hostage in Lebanon and copes by revisiting and reimaging the past.

FREE but RSVP is strongly encouraged. Seating is limited. Click here to RSVP.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Lifeline actors will read from Laurie Keller's Arnie the Doughnut and play drama games with children of all ages (parents welcome too).

This event is FREE and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Chicago Dramatists' Saturday Series: SeptemberPlaywrights, theatre artists, and the general public convene in the Chicago Dramatists' theatre to witness the birth of a new work for the stage and to participate in its development by offering feedback to its playwright. The plays are always directed and rehearsed and are presented with minimal staging. After each reading, the audience members are invited to fill out written response sheets and to join in a post-reading discussion.

In a small Brazilian town, an accident leaves a mother and son from America without memories of each other. Taken in by three town's stray animals, they begin to re-member their lives, but can they remember each other anew?

This event is FREE ($7 suggested donation at the door) and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Founded in 2004, the New Stages Festival is a celebration of innovative new plays, and is designed to give playwrights an opportunity to take risks and experiment.Since its inception, New Stages has offered theatergoers a first look at adventurous new plays, many of which have gone on to receive successful full productions at the Goodman and elsewhere—including Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined. Please join Goodman Theatre for this year’s festival which features an exciting roster of developmental productions and staged readings. See below for a full line-up.

After an act of violence robbed her of family, Mallory created a new one by opening the doors of her rambling home in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood to a wild array of lonely neighbors, hardcore activists and starving artists. Tonight she is determined to banish the ghosts of her past by throwing a raging party and all of her new family is invited. This is a holiday of her own invention—Lottery Day— and anyone could win but everyone has something to lose. In his latest play, award-winning Chicago playwright Ike Holter weaves together characters from past works including Exit Strategy, Sender, The Wolf at the End of the Block and Prowess, to create a new story about the cost of belonging and the gift of community. Reserve tickets here.

On a soundstage in a desert in New Mexico meant to look like a melting ice sheet in Greenland, things are running way behind schedule. As over-qualified-but-under-recognized director Maria tries to salvage her big-budget thriller about climate change and eco-terrorism, her cast and screenwriter waste precious minutes of daylight with error-ridden mis-takes and behind-the-scenes drama. Bess Wohl’s startlingly funny new play examines what is worth saving and what isn’t—especially when we’re facing the end of the world. Reserve tickets here.

Cousins Sam and Jaycee grew up together in a small Wisconsin town. Sam, who sharpened her bowling skills at the local alley, is now heading to college with a bowling scholarship. But Jaycee’s future isn’t looking so bright. As the young women and their friends face adulthood, the alley becomes a place to celebrate, mourn and forge new identities. But can their bonds survive even as their paths diverge? And is success always earned, or is it sometimes a matter of luck?. Reserve tickets here.

STAGED READINGS

How to Catch CreationBy Christina Anderson | Directed by Jess McLeodFriday, October 6 at 10:30AM

In the mid-1960s, a black, queer, feminist writer’s life is changed when her girlfriend tells her some unexpected news. 50 years later, the reverberations of that moment still echo in the lives of four individuals in the rapidly changing city of San Francisco. Christina Anderson’s stunning and complex examination of the universal act of creation—creation of life, of family, of art—spans space and time to inspire a new generation of makers and lovers. Reserve tickets here.

On the night Apollo 15 lands on the moon, a draft dodger steals home to Eden Prairie, Minnesota from Canada. He risks arrest to deliver a message to a young woman from his high school class. This beautifully etched play challenges notions of our own bravery and the true cost of freedom. Reserve tickets here.

POSTNATIONConceived and Directed by Mikhael Tara GarverFriday, October 6 at 4:30PM in the Polk Rehearsal Room

Immersive theatre artist Mikhael Tara Garver will present sections from her work-in-progress, POSTNATION. This community engaged site-specific commission explores the U.S. postal system—which was built prior to the creation of the federal government, and grew in response to immigration and migration movements—to explore the intersecting languages and cultures of Chicago. POSTNATION asks the question: How do we continue to take leaps of faith in a system we see as broken? Reserve tickets here.

The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki CoronaWritten and Directed by José RiveraSaturday, October 7 at 10:00AM

When Nikki’s twin sister Abril commits suicide, Nikki wishes she could tell Abril just one more thing. She seeks guidance from an organization that arranges for dying people to carry messages to the already dead—satisfaction not guaranteed. Nikki’s messenger, Orlando, promises to try to find Abril, but he has no idea what awaits him once he succumbs to cancer. Whimsical and grotesque, The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona examines grief, regret and our unflagging hope for meaning in our lifetimes—and beyond. Reserve tickets here.

We're Only Alive for A Short Amount of TimeWritten and Performed by David Cale | Songs by David Cale Arranged by Matthew Dean Marsh | Directed by Tony Speciale Saturday, October 7 at 2:00PM

Growing up in an ugly English industrial town, writer and performer David Cale escaped the volatility of his parents’ marriage by singing Petula Clark songs and tending to the tropical birds in the Bird and Animal Hospital he built in a garden shed—until a violent act changed everything. Weaving together original songs and achingly beautiful writing, Cale embodies this vivid tale about learning to live when death is suddenly everywhere. Reserve tickets here.

These events are FREE and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

American Theater Company - Chicago Open Residency Experiment (CORE) presents (saliva) things that i like about my partner that are not their mouth or genitalsCORE is a week-long workshop opportunity for artists of all disciplines. American Theater Company awards a free week of rehearsal space and a presentation of the work to ten projects and groups of artists. ATC is committed to creating new work for the American theater and asking questions about how we make what we make as American theater artists.

(saliva) things that i like about my partner that are not their mouth or genitals By Jasmine Jordan and Valerie Gallucci

(saliva) is about sex, about discovering sex and sharing every detail with a best friend, about keeping score, about discretion, about bodies, about lust, about shame, about exes, about celebration. It is by two friends who don't have sex the same way or make art the same way and are figuring that out. It requires those two friends to learn how to dance, learn how to give a lecture, and learn how to work together for the first time since they were sixteen.

FREE but reservation is required. Suggested donation of $15. Space is limited. Click here to RSVP. For more information, click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Chicago Dramatists' Saturday Series: SeptemberPlaywrights, theatre artists, and the general public convene in the Chicago Dramatists' theatre to witness the birth of a new work for the stage and to participate in its development by offering feedback to its playwright. The plays are always directed and rehearsed and are presented with minimal staging. After each reading, the audience members are invited to fill out written response sheets and to join in a post-reading discussion.

Weary of our corrupt and dying planet, a brilliant young engineer is blasting off today on a mission to colonize another world. Her ex-boyfriend believes the Earth – and their relationship – can be saved. But first he must convince her to stay – and hope his new robotic arm doesn’t ruin everything. Six couples wrestle with the future of love in Launch Day, a comedy about where we’re headed.

This event is FREE ($7 suggested donation at the door) and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Court Theatre Spotlight Reading Series - A citywide, yearlong event to rediscover classic plays by writers of colorCourt’s Spotlight Reading series hopes to redefine—and ultimately expand—the canon of classic Theatre by presenting readings of rarely produced plays by authors of color. The series aims to introduce more Chicagoans to the authors and their work, and to expand Court’s artistic values into more communities in the city, with a focus on the south side.Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 3:00pmat ESO Theater | 5401-5403 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60644

The Electronic Ni**erBy Ed BullinsDirected by Cedric Mays

The Story: A.T. Carpentier, a college student in his late thirties, signs up for a creative writing course and continually interrupts the class with his pretentious anecdotes and speeches. Written in 1968, this provocative comedy deals with the danger of rhetoric of any kind.

FREE, but reservations are strongly recommended. Patrons with reservations will be given priority. Limit 4 per household. Click here to RSVP.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Writers Theatre's The Making Of Series Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of the shows you love? For each production, Writers Theatre offers insight into a different aspect of creating theatre to a group of Writers Theatre patrons. Enjoy a short and lively presentation by their designers and other experts, who will walk you through the process of preparing for and executing a show.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Lyric Unlimited Presents Chicago Voices Community Created Performances: Stories and Songs of Chicago Community Created Performances are original music theater works created and performed by Chicago groups using the core element of opera: storytelling through song.

As part of Lyric Unlimited’s groundbreaking Chicago Voices initiative, three incredibly unique groups have been selected for a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to bring their community’s stories to life through song. Join them at the Harris Theater for the culmination of their 15-week creative journey, when their stories take shape as unforgettable, fully produced musical performance pieces.

This event is FREE and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged. To RSVP, click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Lyric Unlimited Presents Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium ParkEach September, Chicago's music lovers come out to experience the Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park. Pack your picnic basket and bring your friends to enjoy a free outdoor performance featuring some of opera’s most thrilling music in a concert that is sure to whet your appetite for our much-anticipated season.

Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park will be aired live on 98.7WFMT and wfmt.com.

Lyric will post live updates via social media throughout the evening.

This event is FREE and open to the public. The show will go on rain or shine! Tickets are not required. To RSVP, click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Northlight Theatre's Backstage with BJ: The Legend of Georgia McBride Join Artistic Director BJ Jones for a mid-day discussion featuring special guest artists, actors, directors, and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into each production while it is still in rehearsal. The Legend of Georgia McBride runs through October 22, 2017 in Skokie, IL.

A mid-day discussion with Artistic Director BJ Jones, featuring special guest artists, actors, directors and designers, offering behind-the-scenes insight into Relativitywhile it is still in rehearsal.

Approximately one hour.

Event is FREE, but reservations are required. Note: Patrons who have not made a reservation WILL NOT be admitted to Backstage with BJ. To RSVP, please call 847.679.9501 x3605 or click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Victory Gardens Theater: BACKSTAGE AT THE BIOGRAPHA new, free event series that takes you behind-the-scenes for an in-depth look at a unique aspect of the rehearsal process! Then, enjoy complimentary wine, beer and snacks as you mingle with members of the cast and design team at the kick-off party in the Victory Gardens Theater lobby.

BACKSTAGE AT THE BIOGRAPH - Fun HomeGet ready for Victory Gardens Theater's first Backstage at the Biograph event of the season: Let's Get Graphic. Before it was a Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical, Fun Home was an acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Join VG for an evening in which they'll dive into the world of graphic novels with a tutorial from a local graphic novelist. Then join them for a first look at a scene from the show. Come to the theater for a night of art, theatre, and complimentary refreshments.

FREE and open to the public. Space is limited. RSVP is required.Click hereto reserve a seat.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Writers Theatre's Sunday SpotlightAre you curious about the world that surrounds your favorite plays? Sunday Spotlight offers access to the finest speakers, academicians and cultural leaders. This one-hour event takes place following select Sunday matinees and extends the conversation on Writers Theatre's stages by featuring an expert in an area connected to the play. For example, past audiences have learned from the experiences of Holocaust survivor Aaron Elster in a layered discussion around The Diary of Anne Frank and explored the nature of suspicion in Doubt: A Parable with the Director of Northwestern’s Center on Wrongful Convictions Karen Daniel.

Sunday Spotlight:This event directly follows the conclusion of the 2pm matinee performance. Start time is approximate.

TREVOR the musical:Based on the story that inspired the Academy Award-winning film, the charity and the national movement, TREVOR the musical is a coming-of-age story about identity, emerging sexuality and the struggles of growing up in a world that may not be ready for you. This world premiere musical is directed by Marc Bruni, who helmed the Tony Award-winning production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.

The Trevor Project was created as a result of the Academy Award-winning film that also inspired TREVOR the musical. The Trevor Project is the nation’s only accredited crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization focused on saving young LGBTQ lives. www.TheTrevorProject.org

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

American Theater Company - Chicago Open Residency Experiment (CORE) presents DigCORE is a week-long workshop opportunity for artists of all disciplines. American Theater Company awards a free week of rehearsal space and a presentation of the work to ten projects and groups of artists. ATC is committed to creating new work for the American theater and asking questions about how we make what we make as American theater artists.

Dig is a new work in development which explores the themes of romantic love, non-monogamy, trans identities, mental illness, and how to overall exist within, challenge, and/or fight the flawed legal system within this country. On the night after their lover's funeral - a trans-masculine person from a highly conservative and religious small-town family - 2/3rds of the remaining romantic triad sneak into their deceased partner's apartment to try to come to terms with the tragedy at hand, but the night takes another-worldly, empowering, and illegal turn as they piece together the truth around their partner's death.

FREE but reservation is required. Suggested donation of $15. Space is limited. Click here to RSVP. For more information, click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Moby Dick Reflect Post-Show Panel DiscussionLookingglass’ REFLECT Series is a curated selection of post-show discussions featuring panelists with a range of viewpoints and expertise on the content and context of each production. These wide-ranging conversations, moderated by artistic staff, offer an opportunity for Lookingglass audiences and guests to engage with the vision and visionaries behind each show, get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the unique Lookingglass process, and hear from artists, academics and authorities with diverse perspectives on the material.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Chicago Dramatists' Saturday Series: AugustPlaywrights, theatre artists, and the general public convene in the Chicago Dramatists' theatre to witness the birth of a new work for the stage and to participate in its development by offering feedback to its playwright. The plays are always directed and rehearsed and are presented with minimal staging. After each reading, the audience members are invited to fill out written response sheets and to join in a post-reading discussion.

A Gated Community in a large American city: Two lifelong Liberals meet again; she, a successful business woman, house hunting; he, a musician, down on his luck and working as a security guard. An ambitious Resident Manager, a geriatric case and his less-than-geriatric wife with her eye on the musician round out the day. Complaint, recrimination, confession, guilt, stereotyping, betrayal, justification, disappointment and more ensue, as progressive principles bump up against the day-to-day.

*AEA

This event is FREE ($7 suggested donation at the door) and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

American Theater Company - Chicago Open Residency Experiment (CORE) presents Untitled Project Inspired by James Baldwin's Giovanni's RoomCORE is a week-long workshop opportunity for artists of all disciplines. American Theater Company awards a free week of rehearsal space and a presentation of the work to ten projects and groups of artists. ATC is committed to creating new work for the American theater and asking questions about how we make what we make as American theater artists.

Presented in conjunction with About Face Theatre's First DrAAFT Series - a program designed to feature the artistic work of AFT's Artistic Associates - playwrights Sprunger and Stovall will workshop and present an adaptation of Baldwin's 1956 novella Giovanni's Room.

FREE but reservation is required. Suggested donation of $15. Space is limited. Click here to RSVP. For more information, click here.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.

Chicago Dramatists' Saturday Series: AugustPlaywrights, theatre artists, and the general public convene in the Chicago Dramatists' theatre to witness the birth of a new work for the stage and to participate in its development by offering feedback to its playwright. The plays are always directed and rehearsed and are presented with minimal staging. After each reading, the audience members are invited to fill out written response sheets and to join in a post-reading discussion.

A bunch of pickpockets, thieves, and filthy street urchins, everyone of them. When the great Sherlock Holmes is framed and arrested for the disappearance of the British Empire's most brilliant minds, to prove his innocence he calls upon a group of young heroes that are quite irregular.

This event is FREE ($7 suggested donation at the door) and open to the public.

"Behind the Curtain" is a special section of ChicagoPlays.com listing free events that enhance and complement your theatre-going experiences. Get an inside look at local Chicago theatre companies through forums, panel discussions, community events, and even parties. Planning to attend this "Behind the Curtain" event? Post about it on Twitter with the hashtag #BehindTheCurtain. For more upcoming events, visit http://bit.ly/behindcurtain.